MARCH 9, 1959

NEW YORK—We were exceptionally lucky in the weather during our trip last week. Again in going from Vancouver to Oregon, even though we changed twice—once in Seattle and once in Portland—we were on time on both occasions.

In Seattle, even though we had only an hour, Mrs. Cebert Baillargeon came down to meet us and we enjoyed having lunch with her in the airport as her guests. In Portland, I did an interview at the airport with Mr. Capper-Johnson for his program on world affairs, and I also had the pleasure of seeing my friend Penny Robinson who, like many other people these days, is now working in a new job which she seems to be enjoying very much.

I spent a most enjoyable evening in Eugene, Oregon. There was a large audience for my talk in the University of Oregon auditorium. We had dinner first with the Matrix group of young women, and I ended with a short press conference after the evening meeting.

We had to change planes in San Francisco on our way to Los Angeles. Flying down the Coast on a good day is one of the loveliest of air trips, but I think I must have a real jinx upon me whenever I go to the San Francisco airport to make a connection. We got in on time, got into another plane, taxied out—and then were told that something was the matter with one of the propellers and we would have to return to the ramp. In due course we were informed we would have to change planes and that we would get off again by 2:30, an hour and a half later than we had expected.

I began to worry about getting to Pasadena in time for dinner and the evening meeting, remembering that the freeway between Los Angeles and Pasadena between five and six o'clock can be very crowded and very slow. Fortunately for me, Mrs. Hershey Martin, with whom I stayed, had arranged that they would call for me after dinner at her house and take me over for the evening speech, after which I would go to a reception. This worked out very well, and when it was all over Mrs. Martin and I joined her husband for a very short time at Sophie Tucker's opening at the Ambassador Hotel.

I had never met this remarkable entertainer who, at 71, as she told us, is still going on with her regular entertainment programs and making a success of it. Miss Tucker told us that she had given away $3,000,000 for charitable purposes during her career and she thanked all those who had helped her to do this. She came to meet me at the end of her performance, saying it was high time we should meet since she had known my boys for a very long time. She is full of life, and I could not help thinking what an extraordinarily vivid personality she has.